Part 61 (1/2)

Thus each morning since Kyot first entered my house I have stolen a little drop of sunlight and hot-forged it into the arrow blades.'

'Stolen the sunlight?' Thane whispered, looking in fear at the grey goose arrow flights that stood just proud of the rims

of the quivers.

Fairday laughed, taking Thane's hand. 'As the sun rose, fiery and powerful above the gra.s.slands and cast its first ray

across my polished anvil I hammered out the molten gla.s.s, smoothing it and folding it over the sunlight, trapping a tiny point of light within the blade. They are rare indeed; forged a moment too soon and the sun is too weak, a moment too late and the light has faded.'

Turning to Kyot and Eventine he warned them to use the gla.s.s arrows only against the Nightmare. Turning back to Thane he held him for a moment, searching with his second sight in the dark daylights yet to come. 'Fate has armed your companions with the Bows of Orm and Clatterford.

Fate will arm you with bright metal,' he said quietly. 'It will arm you with a sword fit for a King to use

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against the Nightmare. Cry out and the sword shall be yours.'

'Sword?' questioned Thane, leaning forward.

But Fairday laughed, clapping his hands for the servers to lead them to breakfast and dismissing Thane's question. 'Let fate pull the threads that draw us all together, let fate keep you safe on the way into the blackest night. Come, or breakfast will turn into noonday food.'

Long after breakfast had been cleared away and the house of Clatterford stood wrapped in silence Thane took Kyot out on to the rain-wet gra.s.s and walked beside him, asking with fear in his voice, 'Did Esteron reach Underfall?'

Kyot stopped and turned towards Thane. 'He is with the Healer, Merion, at World's End. He is sorely wounded but safe from the Nightbeasts. He limped slowly on to the Causeway Field, with Mulcade battle-perched on his withers, putting our council to rout.'

Thane smiled, seeing again the proud arched neck and hearing the thunder of his hooves. 'Esteron,' he whispered, 'Oh, how I need you now.'

Rockspray dug his talons into Kyot's shoulder and hooted.

Thane looked at the owl. 'Would you find them for me?' he asked in a whisper, stroking the owl's chest feathers. 'Would you fly to World's End and tell them that the Nightmare has Elionbel?'

Rockspray spread his wings and hooted just once more before lifting silently into the sun-bright sky and turning towards the line of shadowy mountains that hid World's End from their sight.

Thane and Kyot pa.s.sed into the shadows of the tall yew hedge that bordered the waters of Clatterford and looked towards World's End. 'We will travel as soon as Stumble is strong enough to carry me,' Thane murmured as he turned towards the river bank. Laughing, he knelt and reached ou t his hands to the dark shapes that sat silently paddling against the current. 'The grey swans will find the fastest road,' he whispered.

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Sliding down the bank into the water he gently stroked Ousious' downy chest, feeling for the wound Krulshards had made but all that he could find were the knot ends of Stumble's mane that he had used to sew the edges of the wound together. Easily he cut them with his dagger and let them drift with the current away beyond the lawns of Clatterford.

'You must sleep,' Kyot insisted, kneeling on the edge of the bank, beside Ousious. 'Sleep and rest and grow strong before we journey to the City of Night.'

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